[Part 3]Seagull said, "As-Samiri? Who was this man?" Hornbill said, "According to At-Tabari, Ibn Abbas said, 'As-Samiri was a man of Bajarma, a village in the Jazirah (northern Mesopotamia) near al-Raqqah, of a people who worshiped cows. The love of worshiping cows was in his soul, but he had professed Islam [submission] among the Children of Israel. As-Samiri's name was Musa ibn Zafar. He happened to be in the land of Egypt and entered among the Israelites." Qatadah said, “ He was from the village of Samarra.”
Allah Ta'ala said,
Allah describes the misguidance of those who worshipped the calf that As-Samiri made for them from the ornaments they borrowed from the Copts. He made the shape of a calf with these ornaments and threw in it a handful of dust from the trace of the horse that the Angel Jibrfl was riding, and the calf seemed to moo. This occurred after Musa went for the appointed term with his Lord, where Allah told him about what happened when he was on Mount Tur.وَاتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلا جَسَدًا لَهُ خُوَارٌ أَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّهُ لا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلا يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلا اتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُوا ظَالِمِينَ"And the people of Musa made, after [his departure], from their ornaments a calf - an image having a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to a way? They took it [for worship], and they were wrongdoers." - (QS. 7:148)
Allah Ta'ala said,
When Aaron judged among the Israelites and Musa departed from them to go to his Rabb, Aaron said to them, "You were laden with burdens of ornaments, goods, and jewelry of the people of Pharaoh's family, so purify yourselves of all that, for it is uncleanliness." He kindled a fire for them and said, "Cast into it whatever you have with you of those items." They said "Yes," and began to bring whatever jewelry and goods they had with them, casting them into the fire until when the jewels became broken in it.فَرَجَعَ مُوسَى إِلَى قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَلَمْ يَعِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ وَعْدًا حَسَنًا أَفَطَالَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْعَهْدُ أَمْ أَرَدْتُمْ أَنْ يَحِلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غَضَبٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُمْ مَوْعِدِي"So Musa returned to his people, angry and grieved. He said, "O my people, did your Rabb not make you a good promise? Then, was the time [of its fulfillment] too long for you, or did you wish that wrath from your Rabb descend upon you, so you broke your promise [of obedience] to me?'" - (QS. 20:86)
قَالُوا مَا أَخْلَفْنَا مَوْعِدَكَ بِمَلْكِنَا وَلَكِنَّا حُمِّلْنَا أَوْزَارًا مِنْ زِينَةِ الْقَوْمِ فَقَذَفْنَاهَا فَكَذَلِكَ أَلْقَى السَّامِرِيُّ"They said, 'We did not break our promise to you by our will, but we were made to carry burdens from the ornaments of the people [of Pharaoh], so we threw them [into the fire], and thus did the Samiri throw.'" - (QS. 20:87)
فَأَخْرَجَ لَهُمْ عِجْلا جَسَدًا لَهُ خُوَارٌ فَقَالُوا هَذَا إِلَهُكُمْ وَإِلَهُ مُوسَى فَنَسِيَ"And he extracted for them [the statue of] a calf which had a lowing sound, and they said, 'This is your ilah and the ilah of Musa, but he forgot.'" - (QS. 20:88)
As-Samiri saw the trace of Gabriel's horse and took some dust from its hoofprint. Then he drew near to the pit and said to Aaron, "O prophet of Allah! Shall I throw in what is in my hand? "He agreed, thinking that it was like the goods and jewels the others had brought, and as-Samiril cast it into it, saying: " Be a saffron-colored calf, which bellows." And it became a trial and seduction, and he said, "This is your Ilah and the Ilah of Musa."
They devoted themselves to it and loved it with a love unlike anything they had ever felt. God said: "But he has forgotten"-meaning, as-Samiri, he abandoned what he was following of the religion of Islam.
The scholars of Tafsir have different views over the calf, whether it actually became alive and mooing, or if it remained made of gold, but the air entering it made it appear to be mooing. Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Nay, by Allah, the moaning sound of the calf was nothing but wind that would enter into its behind and come out of its mouth, thus causing it to make a sound."
It was reported that when the statue mooed, the Jews started dancing around it and fell into misguidance because they adored it. They said that this, the calf, is your god and the god of Musa, but Musa forgot it! So they became religiously devoted to the calf and they loved it with a love that they had never loved anything else with before.
Allah answered them,
Allah condemned the Jews for falling into misguidance, worshipping the calf and ignoring the Creator of the heavens and earth, the Rabb and King of all things. They worshipped besides Him a statue made in the shape of a calf, that seemed to moo, but it neither spoke to them nor brought them any benefit. Rather, their very sense of reason was blinded because of ignorance and misguidance.أَفَلا يَرَوْنَ أَلا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلا وَلا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ ضَرًّا وَلا نَفْعًا"Did they not see that it could not return to them any speech and that it did not possess for them any harm or benefit?" - (QS. 20:89)
In a Hadith of Al-Fitun recorded from Al-Hasan Al-Basri, it is mentioned that this calf's name was Bahmut (An-Nasaai in Al-Kubra 6:396; This text is not considered authentic). This ignorant people, they claimed that they were merely ridding themselves of the jewelry of the Copts. In the process of doing so, they cast the jewelry (into the pit of fire) and ended up worshipping the calf. Thus, they were seeking to rid themselves of something detestable, but wound up doing something even worse.
Aaron attempted to prohibit them from worshipping the calf and he told them that this was only a test for them. He told them that their Rabb was the Most Beneficent, Who created everything and decreed for everything its just measure. He is the Owner of the Mighty Throne, the One Who does whatever He wants. Allah said,
وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَارُونُ مِنْ قَبْلُ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنْتُمْ بِهِ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ فَاتَّبِعُونِي وَأَطِيعُوا أَمْرِيThey said, "We will not cease in our worship of this calf until we hear what Musa has to say about it.” So they opposed Aaron in this matter and they fought against him, nearly killing him.
"And Aaron had already told them before [the return of Musa], "O my people, you are only being tested by it, and indeed, your Rabb is the Most Merciful, so follow me and obey my order.'" - (QS. 20:90)
قَالُوا لَنْ نَبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفِينَ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنَا مُوسَى
"They said, 'We will never cease being devoted to the calf until Moses returns to us.'" - (QS. 20:91)
When Musa returned to his people and saw the great matter that had taken place among them, he became filled with anger and he threw down the Divine Tablets that he had in his hand. Then, he grabbed his brother Harun by his head and pulled him towards himself.
Aaron attempted to soften Musa’s anger, because he was Musa’s biological brother and they had the same parents. The mentioning of the mother here is more delicate and profound in bringing about gentleness and mildness.Ibn Abbas said, “Harun was respectful and obedient to Musa."قَالَ يَا هَارُونُ مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ رَأَيْتَهُمْ ضَلُّوا"[Moses] said, 'O Aaron, what prevented you, when you saw them going astray," - (QS. 20:92)
أَلا تَتَّبِعَنِ أَفَعَصَيْتَ أَمْرِي"From following me? Then have you disobeyed my order?'" - (QS. 20:93)
قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أُمَّ لا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِي وَلا بِرَأْسِي إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِ"[Aaron] said, 'O son of my mother, do not seize [me] by my beard or by my head. Indeed, I feared that you would say, 'You caused division among the Children of Israel, and you did not observe [or await] my word.' " - (QS. 20:94)
Then Musa said to As-Samiri,
Musa said to As-Samiri, “ What caused you to do what you did? What presented such an idea to you causing you to do this?” Samiri said, " I saw Gabriel when he came to destroy Fir'awn, so I took a handful (Qabdah) from the hoof print of his horse. Then I threw it along with those who were throwing (jewelry).'"قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكَ يَا سَامِرِيُّ"[Moses] said, "And what is your case, O Samiri?" - (QS. 20:95)
قَالَ بَصُرْتُ بِمَا لَمْ يَبْصُرُوا بِهِ فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ فَنَبَذْتُهَا وَكَذَلِكَ سَوَّلَتْ لِي نَفْسِي"He said, 'I saw what they did not see, so I took a handful [of dust] from the track of the messenger and threw it, and thus did my soul entice me.'" - (QS. 20:96)
Mujahid said, “As-Samiri threw what was in his hand onto the jewelry of the Children of Israel and it became molded into the body of a calf, which made a light moaning sound. The wind that blew into it was the cause of its sound.”
In another verses, Allah said,قَالَ فَاذْهَبْ فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِي الْحَيَاةِ أَنْ تَقُولَ لا مِسَاسَ وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَنْ تُخْلَفَهُ وَانْظُرْ إِلَى إِلَهِكَ الَّذِي ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفًا لَنُحَرِّقَنَّهُ ثُمَّ لَنَنْسِفَنَّهُ فِي الْيَمِّ نَسْفًا"[Musa] said, 'Then go. And indeed, it is [decreed] for you in [this] life to say, 'No contact.' And indeed, you have an appointment [in the Hereafter] you will not fail to keep. And look at your 'god' to which you remained devoted. We will surely burn it and blow it into the sea with a blast." - (QS. 20:97)
إِنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ وَسِعَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا"Your ilah is only Allah, except for whom there is no deity. He has encompassed all things in knowledge." - (QS. 20:98)
When Musa returned to his people after conversation with his Rabb, he became angry and full of regret. Musa threw down the Tablets because he was angry at his people. Several scholars of Tafsir said that when Musa threw the Tablets on the ground they were shattered and he collected the pieces afterwards. Musa found in its inscription guidance and mercy, but the specific details of the Law was lost, so they said. They also claimed that the shattered pieces of the Tablets still remained in the treasury safes of some Israelite kings until the Islamic State came into existence. Only Allah knows if these statements are true.وَلَمَّا سُقِطَ فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ وَرَأَوْا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ضَلُّوا قَالُوا لَئِنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ"And when regret overcame them and they saw that they had gone astray, they said, 'If our Rabb does not have mercy upon us and forgive us, we will surely be among the losers.'" - (QS. 7:149)
وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَى إِلَى قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفًا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِي مِنْ بَعْدِي أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَلْقَى الألْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي وَكَادُوا يَقْتُلُونَنِي فَلا تُشْمِتْ بِيَ الأعْدَاءَ وَلا تَجْعَلْنِي مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ"And when Musa returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said, 'How wretched is that by which you have replaced me after [my departure]. Were you impatient over the matter of your Rabb?' And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by [the hair of] his head, pulling him toward him. [Aaron] said, 'O son of my mother, indeed the people oppressed me and were about to kill me, so let not the enemies rejoice over me and do not place me among the wrongdoing people.'" - (QS. 7:150)
قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلأخِي وَأَدْخِلْنَا فِي رَحْمَتِكَ وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ"[Musa] said, 'My Lord, forgive me and my brother and admit us into Your mercy, for You are the most merciful of the merciful.'" - (QS. 7:151)
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا الْعِجْلَ سَيَنَالُهُمْ غَضَبٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَذِلَّةٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُفْتَرِينَ"Indeed, those who took the calf [for worship] will obtain anger from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world, and thus do We recompense the inventors [of falsehood]." - (QS. 7:152)
وَالَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ ثُمَّ تَابُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهَا وَآمَنُوا إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِنْ بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ"But those who committed misdeeds and then repented after them and believed - indeed your Lord, thereafter, is Forgiving and Merciful." - (QS. 7:153)
وَلَمَّا سَكَتَ عَنْ مُوسَى الْغَضَبُ أَخَذَ الألْوَاحَ وَفِي نُسْخَتِهَا هُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِرَبِّهِمْ يَرْهَبُونَ"And when the anger subsided in Musa, he took up the tablets; and in their inscription was guidance and mercy for those who are fearful of their Rabb." - (QS. 7:154)
[Part 1]
